PlayStation

Blam! Machinehead

The unusual enemies and interesting missions score points for this game. An unusual premise and storyline make things even more interesting. The only major complaint I had was the fact that the rolling, pitching viewpoint made me feel a little ill. Other than that, this is a solid corridor shooter that should give those tired of playing Doom a new challenge.

Machinehead has a lot going for it, but I didn't like the game quite as much as Joe did. The campy cinemas help establish the tone of the game and the techno soundtrack had my foot tapping. The comical enemies in Machinehead have lots of personality and attack in challenging ways. I particularly like the Alien-like face huggers. The large levels have a surreal quality and many backgrounds elements you can destroy; however, the terrain is scarred with deep, narrow trenches that are unnecessarily difficult to navigate. Also, confusing mission objectives add to the frustration.

First-person shooters are getting a little tiresome and there seems to be no shortage of them. Despite this fact, I really enjoyed playing Machinehead. The large levels and hip soundtrack really drew me into this game. The enemies are very comical and unusual. Their comical death wails are reason enough to play on to the later levels. This game scored big points with me for the interesting levels, which have a bizarre, other-worldly quality. The control is another reason why I enjoyed Machinehead. Unlike many shooters, you can switch directions with ease.

The apocalyptic future scenario has been done to death countless times before and even Core’s first person game engine must surely be in need of a major overhaul by now. With the likes of Tunnel B1 and Alien Trilogy setting the standard for this genre, Core need a serious rethink if they’re going to aim high with their next products. Thankfully at least Tomb Raider seems to have the makings of a class A product.

Blam, c'est un jeu plutôt bourrin vous mettant dans les mains des mitrailleuses, des lance-flammes, des missiles, des photons, des Io-Ouragan, etc. Alors réalité, irréalité ? Ce qui est sûr, c'est que Blam est un jeu réel sur CD et que vous pouvez y jouer dès maintenant à condition d'aimer les «moi vois, moi tue» car ce jeu n'est ni plus ni moins qu'un Doom dans l'espace, moins bien qu'un Doom.

I had to take a break from the action every half hour as there is so much going on with hardly time for a breather. I thought it had a similar gameplay to Descent, which I still haven't completed, but will always return to. I found that I would play Blam Machinehead for a couple of days then take a break for a day or two, but I always returned to the challenge.

Neat explosions and solid sound are hindered by dark backgrounds and awful control. For gunning action, this one works well as a weekend rental.